Outnumbered Christmas special to feature prostate cancer plot
Pete Brockman (Hugh Dennis) will reveal that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer as the sitcom 'Outnumbered' returns for a Christmas special.
The 'Outnumbered' Christmas special will see Pete Brockman reveal that he has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
The BBC sitcom returns to screens for the first time in eight years on Boxing Day (26.12.24) and will feature touching scenes where Hugh Dennis' character breaks the news of his diagnosis to his children – who are played by Tyger Drew-Honey, Daniel Roche and Ramona Marquez.
The 62-year-old comedian is quoted by the Daily Star newspaper's Hot TV column as saying: "Pretty much every family has been touched by cancer in some way... my dad had cancer at 66.
"So I'm pleased to have done this storyline."
The comedy's creators Guy Jenkin and Andy Hamilton were determined to tackle the plotline with both charm and humour.
Jenkin said: "Nearly every family in the country has experienced this in similar forms, including the Royal Family. We wanted to show how very normal it is and how the Brockmans deal with it and warmth and love and humour."
Hamilton added: "The key to the episode is not about the cancer, it's about the conversation.
"It's a conversation that's happened in millions of homes. We wanted to depict that in an honest and funny way.
"Humour is an essential survival skill for people to get through tough situations. There will be cancer patients who watch the show and our hope is that they find it reassuring in some way... the show gives off the signal that they're not alone."
Hamilton suggested that the series could continue for a long time to come after the latest festive special.
He said: "Well you should never say never but I just said it twice.
"I don't know is the honest answer.
"I remember on the first series somebody asking us, 'You know could it go on as it has legs?'
"I said as a joke, 'Well we'll probably go on until one of the kids has a child and we have.'"
